Slots hitting speed bumps

Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2009

And the first pull of the lever isn't even expected until at least 2011.

The latest twist has the Anne Arundel County Council and members of the state commission charged with selecting sites engaged in a standoff over a controversial zoning change. Council members do not intend to consider the zoning legislation until after the Video Lottery Facility Location Commission decides whether to grant a license to a group that wants to build a 4,750-machine parlor at Arundel Mills Mall. If approved, the mall site would have the state's largest slots parlor.

At least one commission member lashed out at the council for trying to strong-arm the timeline.

"To reverse the process would be an absurdity," said Robert R. Neall, a former state legislator and an ex-Anne Arundel County executive. "We're going to do this the right way. We're going to do this in the right order."

Council Chairwoman Cathleen M. Vitale fired back that Neall is just one member of the state panel, which has no authority to dictate orders to the council.

Vitale (R) also said she is growing frustrated with repeated criticisms from state officials about the pace of the local zoning decision.

"To chastise us for taking our time on perhaps one of the most significant pieces of zoning legislation [in the county's history] after they couldn't do anything for 13 years is a little hypocritical," she said adamantly, responding to recent comments from Gov. Martin O'Malley (D) and Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr. (D-Calvert, Prince George's).

The effort to implement slots at five sites across Maryland has been riddled with complications from the beginning.

Only six companies submitted bids for the five sites, and two — Magna Entertainment Co. and Empire Rocky Gap LLC — were thrown out because they did not include a required licensing fee.

Magna, which wants to build a slots venue at Laurel Park, has been locked in a court battle over its disqualification.

The Cordish Cos. submitted its own bid for the Anne Arundel site, which would be closest to Southern Maryland, and the commission is in the midst of evaluating it.

But the Empire bid was the only one for Rocky Gap State Park in Western Maryland, and the commission must decide whether to re-advertise the project.

The reason for the troubles, said House Minority Leader Anthony J. O'Donnell (R-Calvert, St. Mary's), is the legislature passed a flawed slots bill crafted by O'Malley, who opposed the slots plan proposed by his predecessor, Republican Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr.

"There's nobody to blame on this, no prior administration," he said. "Gov. O'Malley has rolled craps on this."

The proposed Baltimore city slots parlor has already been relocated and its size increased from the initial proposal, sparking questions of whether that is a breach of the bid regulations.

The one site lacking drama is in Cecil County, where Penn National Gaming Inc. of Wyomissing, Pa., is the sole applicant to build a gaming hall along Interstate 95 in Perryville.

But the company is watching the Anne Arundel zoning fight. If the Cordish proposal is rejected by either the county council or state commission,

Penn National is interested in finding a partner for its own Anne Arundel bid, said Eric Schippers, senior vice president of public affairs.

Dozens of residents who live near the sprawling mall in Hanover turned out at a recent public hearing to decry the negative effects on their communities if the application to develop a massive slots emporium in their backyard is approved.

"The drunk driving, traffic and crime that will spill out of a casino if opened for the proposed 20 hours would be devastating," said Joseline CastaŅos, who has lived in Hanover for 10 years.

Armed with statistics that illustrated an increase in criminal activity around the mall this year, CastaŅos urged the commission to keep any slots parlor away from close-in residential developments.

In a presentation to the commission prior to the public hearing, Joseph Weinberg, principal and president of development at Cordish, tried to address some of the community's fears.

"We feel that Arundel Mills was the only location that could meet all the expectations of the state of Maryland both for economic and environmental reasons and plain common sense," he said, pointing to the site's highway access, existing infrastructure, thriving retail venues and sufficient hotel rooms.

"This is truly a unique opportunity to create a world-class destination," Weinberg said.

The facility, which could open as soon as late 2011, would generate an estimated $6.75 billion for state and $450 million for Anne Arundel County over a 15-year period, he said.

Although Weinberg expressed confidence that the zoning amendment will be approved, Neall said that is no guarantee.

"Only a fool would accept assurances on a bill that hasn't even been introduced," he said. "That is no way to conduct the public's business."

And Vitale said no one should assume that the seven-member council will simply rubber-stamp the legislation.

abrody@somdnews.com